Alright. Kitties are coming in this chapter! R&R
Chapter Twenty-two
Lionblaze followed Birchfall to the ShadowClan border. Suddenly, Birchfall flattened to the ground.
"ShadowClan!" he hissed. Lionblaze ducked down as well. He heard a rustling noise in the bushes, and then a ShadowClan warrior emerged from a juniper bush.
"The coast is clear." Hissed Smokefoot, glancing over his shoulder. The rest of his patrol crept out. Lionblaze signaled for Molefoot and Cloudtail to scout ahead. He beckoned Amberpaw forward.
"Don't fight unless you have to." He whispered. Amberpaw nodded and crept back in line. He was glad he had brought such a large patrol with him. He had Cloudtail, Molefoot, Birchfall, Sandstorm, Amberpaw, and himself. Lionblaze listened to what the ShadowClan warriors were saying. Starlingwing leaned over to Smokefoot.
"They'll never see us coming. We'll take control of their camp before they know it." Lionblaze bristled. He gestured to the trees with his tail. Thank StarClan they understand. He thought as they slid silently up the trunks. Cloudtail and Molefoot returned and scampered up to the high branches with the rest of them. Lionblaze tensed as the patrol began to move on, and he lashed his tail in a silent command. Just as before, the plan worked perfectly. The ThunderClan warriors dropped from the trees and landed squarely on the backs of their enemies. Crowfrost yowled in shock and pain as Cloudtail landed on his back.
"Take that you mangy fur-ball!" the white warrior hissed. Lionblaze landed on top of Starlingwing, and he sunk his claws into his ginger fur. Starlingwing let out a yowl and rolled over, but Lionblaze fastened his claws into his shoulder, and refused to let go. Starlingwing growled and tried to dislodge him, but Lionblaze held fast. Finally, with a warning nip to his hind leg, Lionblaze let go and the ginger tom fled back into ShadowClan territory. Lionblaze wrenched a battle scarred brown tom off Amberpaw and chased him away. Amberpaw scrambled to her paws, looking embarrassed.
"Thanks." She murmured while licking down her chest fur.
"Don't mention it. We should probably get back to camp and report this." He did a quick scan of the patrol to make sure they were all there and alive, luckily, they were, so he started back to camp.
Dovewing was tired of trying to find out who Daisy's mate was. She'd discretely followed Daisy all morning, but the only place she went was the fresh-kill pile to get food for Cinderheart. She curled up in her nest, and was trying to go to sleep when she felt a sharp pain. She sighed.
"Really?" she whispered to herself. "Now?" she supposed it was a better time then Cinderheart's was. She was about to call Jayfeather when she felt an excruciating pain and she ended up whimpering instead. Squirrelflight glanced up.
"Is it time? I'll go get Jayfeather." And with that, she was gone. Dovewing gasped in pain and gritted her teeth. Jayfeather whisked into the den. His blind gaze flicked over her, and he set down a twig. Before he could tell her what to do, Dovewing grabbed the twig in her jaws and sunk her teeth into the bark. Jayfeather unwrapped his bundle of herbs and sorted through them. He pulled out a stack of leaves.
"Blackberry leaves to stop bleeding." He muttered. Next were some thin spiky leaves.
"Good thing I stocked up on fennel." He murmured appreciatively. Dovewing couldn't see what came next, because her vision went black with pain. When her vision came back into focus, Jayfeather was laying down something dripping with a thick golden liquid. Golden honey. She thought dazedly. Like Goldenkit and Honeykit.
"What's the honey for?" she vaguely heard Daisy ask. Jayfeather's reply was even fainter, but she made out,
"Honey gives energy." Dovewing was struggling to hold on and not to fall into the dark void that was closing in on the edges of her vision. Jayfeather leaned forward.
"You're doing great Dovewing, it shouldn't be much longer now." Great? I feel like I'm dying! Dovewing felt an immense pain, then, for a split second, it ended, and then it began all over again. Daisy squealed.
"A gray tom!" she exclaimed, and as Dovewing glanced down, sure enough, she saw a little gray kit. She continued pushing as Jayfeather instructed her to. After a few moments, a silver tabby she-kit was born, and lastly, a slender striped gray she-kit.
Ivypool ducked into the nursery. Her sister was curled in a nest with three tiny kits, Bumblestripe at her side. Dovewing glanced up, looking exhausted, but pleased.
"Hey Dovewing. You're kits are adorable." Ivypool said. Dovewing lowered her head modestly.
"Thanks, Ivypool. We decided to name them Quickkit," her tail tip rested on the silver she-kit's back. "Stormkit," this time it was the tom. "And Flowerkit." The light gray striped kit stirred at her mother's touch. Ivypool leaned over.
"They're great!" she breathed. Dovewing purred proudly. Ivypool dipped her head to Bumblestripe and padded out of the den. Toadstep saw her coming out of the nursery, and said,
"I'd like to be like that someday." Ivypool twitched her whiskers in confusion.
"Like what?" she asked. Toadstep shifted from one paw to another.
"I'd like to have kits someday, is what I meant." Ivypool shifted her weight as well, not knowing what to say.
"Me too." She answered finally in a small voice. She tried to purr, but it caught in her throat. Toadstep looked away. He cleared his throat a couple of times before continuing.
"Maybe I'll go train Dewpaw now..." Ivypool raised her tail.
"Toadstep! Wait! Dewpaw's training with Dustpelt and Foxleap right now, remember?" But Toadstep kept going, hurrying out of camp almost as if he was hurrying away from her. Ivypool couldn't help but worry that this awkward little conversation would end up pulling them apart.
Welcome to ThunderClan Quickkit Stormkit and Flowerkit! Ooh! Ivypool and Toadstep having an awkward conversation! R&R! (Pretty pretty please?)